Mamata Banerjee calls for Indo-Bhutan river panel

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will soon write to the Centre, requesting it to constitute the Indo-Bhutan River Commission to enable the state to protect several North Bengal districts from floods.

"At least 76 rivers are passing through a single district in North Bengal and Bhutan is the origin of all these rivers. Since we don't have a joint river commission with Bhutan, it is becoming extremely difficult for us to control floods in some North Bengal districts. We urgently need a joint river commission with Bhutan. The chief minister will write to the Centre about this," West Bengal Irrigation MinisterManas Bhunia said on Friday.

A senior state government official said the chief minister will also urge the Centre to consider erosion as a national issue.

"Thousands of people in Malda and Murshidabad suffer every year due to erosion triggered by Hooghly and Bhagirathi. The local economy also gets hit due to this. The state government wants the Centre to consider erosion as a national issue and help us rehabilitate those who lose their home and property due to erosion," the official further said.

It is learnt that the state government does not receive any financial assistance from the Centre to rehabilitate erosion-affected persons.

"The Centre grants financial assistance to the state to cope with post-flood situation. But no such grant is available to help people who suffer due to erosion of river banks. We, therefore, urge the Centre to help us financially to face such problems in future," the official said.